Firm

We are a young, dynamic & independent law firm

Strongly committed to understanding our clients’ business needs and ensuring their success in the environments they compete in, we provide counsel to domestic andinternational enterprises, private equity funds and investors, banks, alternative asset managers and other financial service providers, offering them a bespoke solution in all fields of business law.

Our core areas of practice are private equity and funds, corporate law and mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance and financial services. Our practice range also covers most other fields of corporate and business law.

We believe that our collective perspectives in sophisticated financial marketplaces, including New York, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Zurich and Brussels, and our international approach to the practice of law, make us uniquely qualified to provide effective and superior advice to our clients.

Practice

From formation to exit

Our Private Equity and Funds practice encompasses assisting international investors and fund sponsors in connection with the structuring of onshore and offshore investment funds, international fundraising and financing activities as well as the structuring, maintenance and disposition of portfolio investments.

In a nutshell, we assist fund sponsor clients and their portfolio companies on all aspects of their investments, from the deal structuring to the implementation of the exit strategy.

Extraordinary transactions and corporate matters

Our Corporate Law and M&A practice encompasses assisting buyers, sellers and clients on strategy and structuring of acquisitions and dispositions, in connection with a wide range of domestic and cross-border deal and financing models.

We assist enterprises and financial institutions in all corporate extraordinary transactions, including leveraged buy-outs, public M&A transactions, public-to-private deals and equity financing.

And of course we also offer counsel in connection with ongoing corporate matters, the structuring of governance assets, regulatory requirements and antitrust issues.

Our expertise covers a full range of areas including international offerings, issuance of various types of equity, debt and hybrid securities and regulatory matters in relation to asset managers and financial institutions.

Venture Capital is (ad)venture

We believe that tomorrow's successes depend on the foundations of today.

In addition to our venture capital onshore and offshore funds formation's practice, we assist investors, growing start-ups and other venture capital's players on their investment activities, the raising of capitals and the structuring of their relationships with counterparts.

Swiss Precision

We provide our services according to Swiss precision standards and in accordance with Swiss law.

We are proud to be in constant evolution

Business practice and its sectors are always expanding and meandering into novel directions. Each new sector grows from a tentative toddler to a swaggery teenager (and, sometimes, to a confident adult).

As expert counselors, we follow this development very closely and are excited by new challenges, regardless of whether this requires a further training effort on our part.

Dante Leone

EDUCATION
New York University School of Law, Master of Laws, graduate editor, 2000
University Institute of European Studies and ILO
International Training Center, post-graduate degree, honors, 1999
Milan Catholic University, Law Degree, summa cum laude, 1999

Dante assists international clients on a variety of private equity and corporate finance matters, under E.U., Italian and U.S. law. In particular, Dante has a vast experience in assisting fund investors and fund sponsors (including private equity boutiques, major investment banks and financial institutions) in connection with the structuring of European, U.S. and offshore-based investment funds, the related international fund-raising and financing activities and the structuring, maintenance and disposition of portfolio investments.

Nicole Baer Leone

EDUCATION
New York University School of Law, Master of Laws, 2000
Zurich University, Law Degree, 1994

LANGUAGES
German, English, Italian, French

Prior to founding the Lugano office of this law firm, Nicole practiced at the District Court and the District Attorney's Office of Zurich (1995-1996), an international corporate law firm in Zurich (1998-2002), a Swiss private bank in Hong Kong (2003-2005) and a leading corporate law firm in Lugano (2005-2006).

Nicole assists national and international clients on a variety of corporate and business law matters. In particular, she has a vast experience in assisting financial and industrial investors in domestic and cross-border M&A, funds, regulatory and tax matters.

Barbara joined the firm in 2007 and her practice focuses primarily on corporate and financial matters, private equity and venture capital transactions.

In particular, Barbara assists fund investors and fund sponsors in connection with the structuring of domestic and cross-border investment funds and the structuring and disposition of portfolio investments and corporate governance matters.

Recent notable transactions in the fund structuring and formation areas include (i) the assistance of a leading European private equity sponsor in the structuring of a Luxembourg-based fund of funds with EUR 300 million of committed capital, and (ii) the assistance of several European private equity teams in the formation of pooled multiple-investment vehicles in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Spain and Portugal.

Nicola joined the firm in 2008 and his practice focuses primarily on corporate and financial matters and private equity transactions.

In particular, Nicola assists fund investors and fund sponsors in connection with the structuring of domestic and cross-border investment funds as well as with portfolio investments and domestic and cross-border private M&A and joint ventures transactions.

Recent notable transactions in the fund structuring and formation area include the assistance of (i) a leading European private equity fund sponsor in the structuring of a Luxembourg-based fund of funds with EUR 300 million of committed capital and (ii) several European private equity teams in the formation of pooled multiple-investment vehicles in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Spain and Portugal.

Recent notable transactions in the M&A and corporate area include the assistance of (i) an Italian telecommunications company in several rounds of fund raising of more than EUR 300 million from European and U.S. private equity investors as well as in connection with the granting of long-term loan facilities by leading Italian and Chinese financial institutions of more than EUR 100 million and (ii) a leading European private equity group regarding the acquisition of an Australian logistics company and the acquisition of the business of a European producer of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.

Prior to joining the firm in 2017, Jean practiced law with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Hong Kong 2004-2007), served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Robert R. Beezer of the 9th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals (2002-2003) and worked as an investment banking analyst for J.P. Morgan (1996-1998).

Giancarlo assists Italian and international clients (mainly private equity and hedge funds, corporate clients and financial institutions) on domestic and cross-border private M&A and joint ventures transactions, fund formation and fund investments (mainly in the private equity industry), securities and capital markets transactions, as well as all related matters.

Giancarlo has been involved in many leading transactions in Italy and Europe starting from the early '90s, including M&A transactions, public hostile takeovers, the first global initial public offering and dual listing in Italy and New York, the first (and landmark) global initial public offering and listing in Italy of a new economy business, as well as investments in, and fund raising of, a number of international private equity funds investing in Italy.

Maria Pia joined the firm in 2008 and her practice focuses primarily on corporate and financial matters and private equity transactions.

In particular, Maria Pia advises clients on national and cross-border mergers and acquisition, venture capital, joint ventures, corporate governance and commercial law matters.

Recent notable transactions in the M&A and corporate area include advising (i) a major pharmaceutical distribution company in the acquisition of a consortium of pharmacists; (ii) a major U.S. private equity fund sponsor in the acquisition of an Italian medical devices manufacturer; (iii) a major U.S. private equity fund sponsor in the underwriting of its investment in an online gaming company; and (iv) a leading U.S. private equity fund sponsor in the LBO acquisition of an online gaming company.

Giovanni Marcon

Giovanni joined the firm in 2017, and his practice focuses primarly on corporate and financial matters.

Office

Come visit us

Our office is located in Bissone, a picturesque village on the shore of Lake Lugano in Ticino, which may be reached in 10 minutes from the center of Lugano (by exiting from the A2 Highway in Melide and crossing the bridge over the lake) and approximately 50 minutes from Milan (by exiting from the A2 Highway in Bissone).

The nearest train station is Melide, approximately 2 minutes away by bus or cab.

Recruitment

We believe in meritocracy

Our legal and non-legal team members are recruited and rewarded based on their skills, experience and devotion to clients. We are constantly looking for new additions to our team. If you feel that our areas of practice and organizational features fit your career aspirations, please email your resumé to us (click here for our privacy policy) at:

Legal Notice

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This section of this website contains general information about CP-DL Leone & Partners Ltd. ‘CP-DL’ is the brand under which two separate firms operate and provide separate professional services to separate clients. ‘CP-DL’ is often used to refer either to one individual firm using the CP-DL brand or to both of them collectively. CP-DL Leone & Partners S.A., with registered office in Switzerland, is a limited company and operates pursuant to Swiss law.

The reader should not consider information on this website to be an invitation for any attorney-client relationship and should not rely on the information for any legal purpose as it may not reflect current legal developments. Our firm provides legal advice only to individuals or entities with which it has established an attorney-client relationship and such advice is based on the particular facts and circumstances of each matter. The reader should not act nor refrain from acting on the basis of information on this website without seeking appropriate legal counsel.
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CP-DL Leone & Partners S.A.

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